The New York Yankees will open the Wild Card Series against the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday at Yankee Stadium. When the first pitch arrives, Austin Wells will be behind the plate.
That was not a certainty four months ago. For a long stretch of this season, the Yankees’ starting catcher looked like one of the least productive hitters in the sport.
Now he enters October as one of the steadiest bats in the lineup. The turnaround has been one of the quieter stories of the second half.
How Bad It Got
The numbers from the first four months were hard to ignore. From Opening Day through August 2, Wells owned a .161 batting average and a .537 OPS. Among qualified hitters with a similar number of plate appearances, nobody posted a worse line.
Wells’ bat had gone cold early and kept falling. By the end of June his average had cratered to .155, down from .200 at the end of April.
The question was whether the Yankees would trade for a catcher at the deadline. Other clubs invested heavily at the position, but the Yankees held firm.
What Changed for the Yankees Catcher
A mid-season trip to the injured list for headache issues gave Wells time away from the grind. He retooled his swing mechanics during the downtime, focusing on getting the ball in the air more consistently.
The results showed immediately. Over the 15 games before the trade deadline, Wells posted an .886 OPS with three home runs, seven walks, and just eight strikeouts. The bat that had disappeared for months came back with better discipline and more authority.
Since August 3, he has caught more innings than any backstop in the sport, starting 42 of 47 games. His OPS over that stretch sits at .785. The Yankees’ decision to pass on acquiring a catcher at the deadline looks justified.
Manager Aaron Boone has noticed the difference.
“You feel like he’s that threat again down there,” Boone said. “And that’s massive.”
Ready for October
Wells is no stranger to the postseason. He started 12 of 14 games during the Yankees’ 2024 playoff run that ended with a World Series loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was behind the plate for every game of last year’s postseason.
Ali Sánchez is the backup, but barring something unexpected, the job belongs to Wells from Tuesday through however long the run lasts.
Wells made clear that is exactly how he wants it.
“This is where I want to be,” Wells said.
Final Word for the Yankees
Austin Wells spent the first four months of this season looking like a player the Yankees needed to replace. Instead, the club stuck with him, and he rewarded that faith with the best stretch of his career.
The .161 average is a distant memory now. The .785 OPS since the deadline is what the Yankees are carrying into October. Wells will likely be behind the plate Tuesday when the Wild Card Series begins, the same spot he has earned by turning his season around at the right time.
The postseason grind starts in two days. Wells is ready for it.
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